Mailbox



June 15, 1965 Filed July 16, 1963 w. E. FRANKLIN 3,189,265

MAILBOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOK W/LL/AM E. FRANKLIN WM vw A TORNEYS United States Patent MAILBOX William E. Franklin, 1451 E. 56th St., Los Angeles, Calif. Filed July 16, 1963, Ser. No. 295,402 1 Claim. (Cl. 232-19) This invention has to do with mail boxes of the type for receiving letters and other mail from the postman at the ultimate destination of the mail.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel mailbox which is particularly adapted for mounting in the wall of a building or the like and which is constructed to receive mail from the postman on the out-side of the building and so constructed that the mail can only be removed from inside the building.

Another object is to provide a mailbox of the type indicated which normally is in position to receive mail from the postman and which is tiltably mounted for convenient access to its contents by authorized persons within the building. In this connection it is an object to provide a construction wherein the mailbox is not tiltable except as permitted by the owner or authorized person inside the building.

A further object is to provide a weatherproof mailbox with a covered entry slot and which is so constructed that the mail placed in the mailbox cannot be removed from the front or exposed side of the box.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings and the following description. Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of the front of a mail box embodying the invention shown mounted in a building wall, the latter being fragmentarily illustrated;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the back of the mailbox;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational View with parts broken away and showing the mailbox proper in elevation in normal position in full lines and in tilted position for mail removal in broken lines, the scale being larger than FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line F-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view through the mailbox proper, but on a larger scale; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional plan view on lines 66 of FIG. 3.

More particularly describing the invention, numeral 11 generally designates a building wall which has only been shown fragmentarily, and it is contemplated that the wall might be considerably thicker. The mailbox or mailbox assembly of the invention, generally indicated by numeral 12, is mounted in an opening 13 in the building wall. The mailbox assembly includes a rectangular frame 14 which is open at the front and back and which includes a bottom Wall 15, side walls 16 and a top wall 17. Preferably this frame is provided with one or more doors 18 which are shown hingedly mounted at 19 for the purpose of closing the inner end or back end of the frame. The

front end of the frame remains open and is thus exposed on the outside 11 of the wall 11. A lock 24) may be provided on the doors.

Within the frame I mount a cradle 21 for limited pivotal or tilting movement upon a transverse axis and two pins 22 are shown supporting the cradle on the side walls 16 of the frame. The cradle is generally rectangular, having side members 23 and end members 24, and its pivotal movement is limited by a pair of lower stops 25 located on the sidewalls 16 and by a pair of upper stops as also located on the side walls.

The mailbox proper, designated generally by numeral 2 7, is secured to the cradle as by rivets or screws at 28 and 29. The mailbox includes a casing means having a top wall 30, bottom wall 31, side walls 32 and a front Wall 33. These Walls for-m a main section or mail compartment 34 of ample size to receive several pieces of letter-type mail. The casing does not have a rigid rear wall but instead is provided with a normally closed door 35 which is hingedly mounted at 36 on the upper Wall. The door has a flange 35' at its lower edge which lies against a flange 31' of the bottom wall 31. The two flanges are apertured in registration to provide a hole to receive a look if desired, or a ring 37. V

The forward portion of the casing is provided with a forwardly projecting neck 40, and this is formed in part by an extension 41 or continuation of the top wall 30 of the casing. The neck also has side walls 42 and a bottom wall 43. This neck is closed and tapers in size but opens into the interior of the main section. The upper wall 41 of the neck is provided with an entry slot 44 through which mail is inserted, and this and the neck itself are covered normally by a closure 45 which includes depending side walls 46, thereby providing a weatherproof closure for the mailbox. The closure is hinged at 4-7.

It will be noted that the neck is located at the forward upper portion of the main section of the mailbox and that the lower wall 43 of the neck is substantially above the lower wall 3 1 of the mail compartment 34. When mail is inserted it readily falls into the space 34 due to the normal angle of the box. When the mailbox is tilted from the full-line position of FIG. ii to the broken-line position thereof, the mail will not re-enter the neck and is thus readily accessible from the rear of the mailbox upon opening the rear door 35. Also, with the box so tilted, the mail will not fall from the box. Additionally, an angle iron 48 on wall 33 guards against the mail slipping back into the neck and also serves further to prevent removal of mail through the entrance slot by unauthorized persons.

It will be apparent that with the doors 18 closed, the mailbox cannot be tilted from the full-line position of FIG. 3 to the broken-line position thereof.

The mailbox is shown provided with a receptacle 50 to hold letters which are to be picked up by the postman and this is shown as having relatively low upright walls 51 defining an open-topped container. A cover 52 is hinged at 53.

Ample space is provided below the mailbox 27 to place packages or large-sized pieces of mail on the lower wall 15 of the frame without interfering with the tilting of the mailbox.

Although I have shown and described preferred forms of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claim.

I claim:

In a mailbox adapted to be mounted on a transverse axis for limited tilting movement, a casing having top, bottom and front walls defining a main section for receipt of mail, said section being open at the back end, a hollow neck at the front end of said main section projecting forwardly of said front wall and formed in part by a continuation of said top Wall, said neck having a bottom wall disposed at a substantial distance above the bottom of said main section at the upper end of the front wall of said main section, said front wall forming an interior angle of substantially a right angle with the bottom wall of said main section, the interior of said neck being open to the interior of said main section, said neck having a mail entry slot in its upper wall, a closure hingedly mounted on said casing and normally covering said neck and the entry slot therein, and a Patented June 15, 1965 hingedly mounted closure at the back end of said main 638,622 section of said casing normally closing the same. 1,130,047 1,583,168 References Cited by the Exammer 2,426,271 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,705,593 483,525 10/92 Becket 232-20 491,534 2/93 Cushing et a1. 232-21 4 Brockrneyer et a1. 232-24 Waugh 232-24 Pennig 23219 Johnson 23219 Haskins 23221 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

